Raging Dad

Holy fuck, Dora in a mini skirt?

I was trolling around the Net yesterday and apparently I missed out on the controversy last week over the new “tween” Dora. Mattel, showing a rather alarming lack of brand management savvy, broke the news to the public by releasing a silhouette in which her flowy tunic looked more like a micro mini. Mommies raged across the country, calling for toymaker heads on pikes for turning their little explorer into a bratty harlot.

Realizing they screwed the pooch by just putting out a curvy outline without a real explanation, Mattel later released a full-color image of the 10-year-old version of Dora and clarified that she was, in fact, “an age-appropriate doll that lets girls continue to learn and grow with the character.”

Oh wait, she's harmless and adorable. Just like my little girl.

Honestly, I think this is a brilliant extension of the Dora brand. My daughter Connie used to live and breathe Dora. That plain-Jane little Latina was the center of her world. But in the last couple of years, Connie has moved past Dora. She’s not as relevant as other characters to her now, and Connie has been lulled by the sweet siren song of the Disney and Barbie Princess movement. It does seem like a movement, doesn’t it?

By creating an older—and tasteful, I might add—version of our brave adventurer, Dora can continue to be a part of a young girl’s world. So she’s gonna move beyond Map, Swiper and the rest of the crew. Chill. Out. I see no problem with this, and in fact, see it as an important lesson in growing and changing. Kids move from preschool to kindergarten and meet new kids, they lose touch with old friends and their lives are fundamentally different. Sure, they hold on to some things and I suspect that this new Dora will also hold on to some of the friends from her toddler days.

Let the kid grow. It’s not like Mattel is getting rid of the toddler Dora. No, this is a brand extension, not a replacement. I wonder if some of the parents who are so upset have not seen their child outgrow Dora and move on to other things. We are very fortunate that Connie has grown into princesses and not Bratz. ‘Cause ain’t no Bratz coming into this house. And for you Barbie haters out there: the Barbie Princess movies arguably contain better messages for young girls than do some of the old school Disney pictures. But that’s a different post…

So bring on the tween Dora! I look forward to her once again becoming relevant to my daughter!

Song of the day: “Modern Girl,” by Sleater-Kinney.